ABC crowns Maddie Poppe as the winner of American Idol season 16. The Iowa native also made a surprise announcement on Monday night.
Before being crowned as the winner of the popular singing competition, Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson told the crowd that they are dating. Prior to their announcement, fans of the show already knew that Gabby Barrett and Cade Foehner are also an item.
Following their surprise revelation, Poppe and Hutchinson sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and even held hands. They also received a free trip for two to Disney's Aulani resort in Hawaii.
Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Maddie Poppe Release Statement
And on his Twitter account, Hutchinson gave Poppe the sweetest congratulatory message. He said that no one deserved the win more than Poppe did. Hutchinson also said that he is proud to call the college student his girlfriend.
After the show, Poppe was asked to comment about her big win.
"I don't have any words to describe this really. I can't believe people believed in me this much just to make it to the top two with Caleb. To actually have been named the winner of this show is incredible," said Poppe.
A day before the finale, Poppe performed two songs in the hopes of getting America's vote. She sang her original song "Going Going Gone."
She also sang Fleetwood Mac's track "Landslide." On Monday night, Poppe once again sang her original song for her fans.
Gabby Barrett's Fans Are Disappointed
In related news, Barrett's fans are obviously not pleased with the results of the show. Some of them accused American Idol of being rigged. Others said that Barrett not winning is the biggest disappointment of 2018. One fan also said that she is annoyed with the results but hopes that she can hear Barrett on the radio soon.
Some fans also questioned Poppe and Hutchinson's decision to announce their relationship status after they were named winner and runner-up.
"Honestly... before this episode began, I was completely okay with Maddie Poppe winning. But now? Now it's just ruined because it was very obviously staged with her and Caleb," wrote the fan.
Katy Perry Votes For Maddie Poppe
Throughout the season, Poppe has been praised by judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. And one day before she was named as the winner, Perry declared that she will be voting for the singer.
When the other judges tried to stop her, Perry said that she was never told that she could not vote for a contestant on the show.
American Idol will return to ABC for a second season next year.
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